Nicola Brewer

Dr Nicola Brewer "was appointed the Equality and Human Rights Commission's first chief executive in December 2006. She took up her appointment on 5 March 2007.

"Prior to joining the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Nicola was director general for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where she was responsible for delivering one of the UK's 10 international strategic priorities: 'an effective and globally competitive EU in a secure neighbourhood'. She led the FCO's contribution to the UK's 2005 Presidency of the EU, and advises the foreign secretary and minister for Europe on EU and other European policy issues. She sits on the FCO Board.

"Before that, Nicola was director general for regional programmes at the Department for International Development (DfID), supervising the UK's overseas bilateral aid programmes, and was also a DfID board member.

"Nicola has worked overseas in India, France and Mexico. She joined the FCO in 1983, with degrees in English and linguistics from the University of Leeds. She was awarded the CMG in 2002. She is married and has two children."


 * Trustee, Pilgrim Trust